Our Body-the Liver.

Our Body-The Liver.

Situated beneath the diaphragm in the abdomen, the Liver is the largest organ weighing about 1.5 kilogram.
The blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the Liver before reaching the rest of the body. It processes nutrients and drugs absorbed from digestive tract into forms easy for other parts of. It is the refinery of our body. It removes toxins from our blood converting it to substances to be easily removed. Many drugs taken to treat diseases are chemically modified in Liver. It also makes bile essential for digestion. Bile is stored in the gall bladder which contracts after eating and discharges bile into intestines. Liver converts the food we eat into chemical essential for life.
Carbohydrates absorbed in intestines is transported through blood vessels to the Liver and converted into glycogen and stored. The Liver breaks down the glycogen in between meals releasing sugar into the blood for energy to prevent low blood pressure. This helps us to keep an even level of energy. Without this balance, we would need to eat constantly for energy. It also maintains body’s protein and nitrogen metabolism. Protein in food is broken down into amino-acids in intestines and delivered to the Liver for making body proteins. Excess amino acids are sent to the muscles for use or converted to urea for excretion in the urine. Certain proteins are converted into ammonia during the breakdown of body protein. The Liver detoxifies the ammonia, and made into urea which is excreted by the kidneys.
Through the production of bile, Liver helps dietary fat for absorption. Vitamins A D E and K depend on Liver for absorption.
Many Liver diseases are associated with malnutrition. Patients with cirrhosis are mal-nourished, losing the muscle’s mass and thin and lean appearance. Alcoholics are susceptible to Liver-disorders. Drastic loss of weight is associated with liver-dis-order. It is important that patients with Liver-disorder maintain a balanced diet which ensures adequate calories carbohydrates fats and proteins. The liver-cells have to be regenerated. Patients with cirrhosis need rich diet in protein providing 2000 to 3000 calories per day to help the Liver to re-build. Too much protein results in increased ammonia in the blood while too little of protein results in not healing the Liver. It has to be proportionate. Patients with liver disease should be wary of supplements to the diet fat foods or packaged nutritional aids. Such foods contain lot of salt potassium or inappropriate protein mixtures. Those that are safe should be taken.